


Everything Comes Back To You

by jaerie



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Childhood Friends, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hospitals, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-07 16:10:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14084625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaerie/pseuds/jaerie
Summary: Louis was only seven when he found himself in a hospital bed alone and scared, confused about what was happening.  When another little boy climbed into his bed to comfort him, Louis never thought that they would be meeting again later in life.  He also never imagined that their roles would be reversed the second time around.





	Everything Comes Back To You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cnd8544](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cnd8544/gifts).



> i hope you enjoy this little bubble of cuteness <3
> 
>  
> 
> **I hate that this has to be said but here we go. I do not allow any of my works to be translated or reposted to any platform. This includes, but is not limited to, Wattpad, Tumblr, other AO3 accounts. Reposting and “giving credit” is not an authorized use of my content. Any translations or reposted material will be reported immediately.**

* * *

 

 

Louis let out a sob followed quickly by a whimper of pain that it had caused.  His tummy hurt, but not in the way that it did when he ate too much candy. It was a different kind of hurt that confused him and made him want his mommy to hold him.  He wanted her to lay with him under his glow in the dark stars and soft blankies and stuffed animals. He didn’t want to be in this room with beeping machines and unfamiliar shadows and strangers that came in to poke at him.  He didn’t like the tubes attached to his arms that made it hard for him to snuggle up and he didn’t like that it hurt too much to curl up on his side like he was used to.

Louis just wanted to be home.   

He didn’t remember much before he woke up in this strange place.  His mother had kept him home from school with the flu which was pretty cool– apart from the whole throwing up part.  When he was sick, he was allowed to lay on the couch and watch tv all day while his mom brought him as much 7UP and crackers as he wanted.  It was a much preferred way to spend the day than being in school with stupid numbers and spelling. He was only seven and already school was hard.  He thought he might pretend to be sick the rest of the week if he could get away with it.

By the time Toy Story was coming to an end, Louis had been eating his words and very much wished he wasn’t sick and instead out at recess with his friends.  His tummy hurt so bad he couldn’t even call out to his mommy, could only curl up and cry. That was the last thing he remembered before all the tubes and beeps had shown up.

And now he was alone and scared and for once in his life had him wishing he was the youngest in the family.  His mommy had kissed him on the forehead and told him to be brave before leaving him to take care of his baby sisters.  Usually, he liked being a big brother but not when he was left along not feeling well.

He sniffed again and tried not to cry harder which made his tummy hurt but the hurt in his tummy also made him want to cry harder.  It was too bright to sleep but too dark to feel safe and he didn’t want to be alone.

There was shuffling on the other side of the drawn curtain that divided the room in half.  He had briefly seen there was another bed closest to the door when his mommy had left him earlier.  It had been empty then but had ballooned tied to bedside railing. He hadn’t understood why the nurse wouldn’t bring them to his bed when they weren’t doing much good on the empty side.  It didn’t sound so empty now.

The curtain slowly started to move, sliding easily across the track in the ceiling.  Louis’ imagination ran wild as it seemed to move on its own, his breath caught in his throat so he wouldn’t even be able to scream out for help if he needed to.  His eyes were wide as he waited for the boogey man or a scary clown or something to appear at his bedside, hands shaking in fear.

Instead of anything terrifying, what he saw was quite the opposite.  A little boy with a hospital gown hanging off his body that seemed just a little bit too big was standing there with a look of concern on his face.  He had large round glasses on his face despite the bandages covering over one eye. With practiced ease, the little boy scooped up the wires attached to his arm and rolled the tall pole with him towards Louis’ bed.  All he could do was watch as the boy then bent over and disappeared off the side of the bed while he pulled something closer with a loud scrape across the floor.

“Hiya!” the boy smiled when he popped up at Louis’ side.  It must have been a step of some type for him to suddenly grow so tall.  

“Hi,” Louis sniffed, his tears halted slightly but the few moments of terror.  

“I’m Marcie!”  Marcie started to climb up onto the bed beside Louis without asking, making himself at home at his side.  The boy couldn’t have been much younger than Louis, just a bit shorter and scrawnier maybe.

“Are you sad?” Marcie asked him, positioning their tubes and wires so they weren’t tangled like he knew what he was doing.  Louis was scared he might yank them all out, but he was gentle and precise. It didn’t even hurt.

“N-no,” Louis sniffled, shaking his head.

“S’okay.  Sometimes I am ‘cause my kitty can’t come to the hos-i-ple with me.” Marcie frowned and stuck out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

“I–I’m not s-sad,” Louis hiccuped, each one hurting his tummy more but unable to stop it.  “I w-want my mommy.” The tears started coming down his face again and he couldn’t even make himself be embarrassed for crying in front of someone younger than him.  

Marcie snuggled in next to Louis, carefully wrapping his arm around Louis’ chest in a gentle hug.

“Don’t worry.  Your mommy will come back in the morning but I can stay here to make sure she does.”

“O-okay,” Louis nodded through another hiccup, finally feeling a little better.

Marcie planted a soft kiss on his shoulder before resting his head there despite the bandage covering part of his face.  

“What’s your name?”

“Louis,” he sniffed, his hitches in his breath slowly calming.  

“Louieee!  That kinda matches mine.”  

Marcie lifts his head up to give him another wide smile before he sat up and carefully removed his thick glasses.  He folded them up and reached across to set them in an empty space of the bed and then settled back into Louis.

“You go to sleep first so you won’t be scared and when you wake up your mommy will be back.”  

Louis wasn’t sure why he believed this kid he’d never met before but he seemed pretty sure of himself.  Deciding he had no reason not to trust him, Louis closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

 

 _——————————_  
_Ten years later_ _  
_ ——————————

 

“And then BAM!” Niall slammed his hand on top of the lunch table hard enough to make them all jump, “A big cloud of smoke went up in his face and he passed out right there on the floor!!”

They were all laughing themselves to tears at Niall’s story about his chemistry class earlier that morning that had caused half the school to evacuate for a good hour before the fire department arrived to give the all clear.  NIall always seemed to be the one to witness all the good drama in their high school. Louis figured since he was the best storyteller, it was probably in everyone’s best interest that he was. Louis was usually on the other side of the drama, but with Niall as one of his best friends, he usually came out alright when it was being retold.  It was hard for Louis to keep himself out of trouble sometimes. It was just his nature.

“So then Jonesy smashes open the fire extinguisher case and knocks over about ten beakers in the process that all shatter on the floor while Mr. Murdow is trying to drag him out into the hallway!”  Niall has to pause to gasp for air, wiping the tears away from his eyes.

Louis isn’t much better, clutching at his stomach that has started to ache like he’d done too many sit-ups.  Their table was always, by far, the loudest in the cafeteria on any given day, always receiving glaring looks from the attendants to keep it down.  They rarely did. It was their senior year of high school. They deserved to have a little fun before college life and adulthood smacked them in the face.  

Over the decibels of their table, though, a loud smack echoed around the room and caused all eyes to turn to the source.  A kid Louis had never seen before was squatting down next to a stack of textbooks that had fallen to the ground to make such a deafening noise.  In patterned tan trousers and matching vest over a white button down, he looked out of place amongst the jeans and t-shirts of the other students around him.  If it wasn’t for that, his dark slicked back hair and thick glasses would have set him apart on their own. Louis would likely think him a new teacher’s aid if it wasn’t for his obviously young age.  No one jumped to help him and after a few moments, the chatter began to rise again like nothing had happened.

“I think that’s the new kid,” Liam commented before he took a swig from his chocolate milk carton, “I saw him with one of the counselors this morning.  Seems like a dweeb.”

The whole table chuckled around him but Louis’ was half hearted.  Something seemed familiar about the kid. Apart from appearing like a stereotypical dork character from an 80’s movie, he couldn’t place him.  Louis watched as the new student shuffled quickly from the room in embarrassment as soon as he’d gathered his books again, but the familiarity continued to bother Louis long after after he was gone.

“Earth to Tommo!”

Louis heard before something sticky hit the side of his face.

“Ew, what the fuck??” he wiped the strawberry jelly off his cheek in disgust and reached to wipe it into Niall’s blonde tipped hair before he could protest.  

“Oi!  That wasn’t me!” Niall made a move to retaliate but Louis was saved by the bell signaling the end of the lunch period.  

“You were a likely suspect!  Bye lads!” Louis grabbed his bag and sprinted off across the room, leaving his tray behind for them to deal with.  

He threw the heavy door open and sharply rounding the corner, finding himself on the ground before he realized he had collided into something firm.  

“Fuck,” he muttered from a heap of belongings and limbs.  It took him a moment to realize that not all the body parts were his and muttered apologies as he untangled himself from the pile.  

“Let me get those for you.  I wasn’t watching where I was going,” he started to gather up the books around him, another set of shaky hands entering into his vision to help.

“You don’t have to,” a timid voice mumbled which made Louis pause.  

He looked up to a downturned face obstructed by large thick rimmed glasses and topped with a slicked over dome of dark hair.  After a moment– most likely after he sensed he was being observed– the face tilted up with a sniff that wrinkled his whole nose, pointer finger moving up to push the glasses up by the bridge.  

“Marcie?” It hit him like a cement wall in that moment, like a flash of memories described by someone in their last moments of life.  He was older, more mature, obviously no longer a child, but the mannerisms were the same and unmistakable.

They’d spent weeks in the children’s hospital together, Louis for complications with a burst appendix and Marcie with– well, Louis wasn’t exactly sure, but his eye had been consistently bandaged the entire time and he wasn’t allowed to move around much since sometimes it was hard for him to breathe.   The wheezy sounds of Marcie breathing next to him on the bed at night was a sound that easily conjured itself up in his mind again now that he was faced with him in the flesh once again.

“No one calls me that anymore,” Marcie replied softly, a light blush rising to his cheeks as he once again diverted his eyes and moved to scoop up his textbooks.  

“No, wait!” Louis shot out a hand to touch Marcie’s wrist, pulling it away when Marcie recoiled from the contact.  “Sorry, just, you probably don’t remember this but I think we shared a room together in the hospital when I was seven?”

Marcie paused at that, lifting his head to squint his eyes at Louis that somehow required his entire face to do it.  It was incredibly endearing, like a little mole trying to decide if the coast is clear to come out of its hole.

“Louis?  Sorry, my eyesight isn’t the greatest,” he tilted his head to look at him from the bottom half of his large glasses which only made his nose scrunch up further, “But of course I remember.  Never had another friend my age in the hospital. I always hoped you’d be there when I had to go back for a couple years after that.”

Marcie seemed to realize what he’d admitted and his cheeks grew rosy again, chewing his bottom lip nervously.  Louis hadn’t meant to distress him and, to break the awkward moment, helped pick up the stack of books so they could rise to their feet and have a conversation standing like normal people instead of kneeling on the cold dirty tile.

“In the hospital a lot, then?” Louis asked, not actually knowing much about hospital stays since he had only been seven at the time.  He probably wouldn’t have comprehended it then anyway.

“Yeah, I–”  

The shrill bell sounded in the hallway and Louis swore under his breath.  He hadn’t even been paying attention to the time and now they were both late.  

“Hey, sorry, I have to get to class but see you around!”

Louis offered a final wave and took off down the hallway, leaving Marcie standing mid-sentence with a startled look frozen on his face.  

 

————

 

Louis didn’t run into Marcie again for a few days and the entire encounter had nearly faded back to the recesses of his mind along with the memories of their time together as kids.  It wasn’t until a conversation caught his attention from where he was sprawled out on the carpet of Niall’s basement trying to work through some calculus homework that he even remembered the whole conversation.  

“I don’t know what it is, but he’s just really strange,” Liam was saying while he chewed on the cap of his pen.  What a gross habit.

“Mr. Neuzil was talking about how inventions changed our lives and to prove a point he asked everyone who had a microwave in their house to raise their hand.  He didn’t and when Mr. Neuzil asked him, he said his mom wouldn’t allow one in their house because she thinks they give you cancer! I mean, what?? Who doesn’t have a microwave??” Liam threw his hands in the air and Louis wrinkled his nose as he saw spit flick from the end of the pen with the motion.  

“He has to hold his book about an inch away from his face in AP history,” Niall snorted out a laugh, “With the way he dresses, he probably witnessed more than half the last century himself first-hand.”

“He’s just weird.  He seems startled if anyone talks to him and he answers things like a professor when he gets called on in class.  I honestly wanted to look for hidden cameras to see if we were being set up for some strange reality show to see how we’d react to him,” Liam chimed in again.  

“Who are you talking about?” Louis finally asked and rolled onto his back to push himself up facing his friends on the couch.  

“That new kid, Marcel.  Is he in any of your classes?  Kid is super weird.” Niall made a face and bookmarked the novel he wasn’t reading anyway to continue the conversation.  

Even if Louis only knew him by “Marcie”, there was no doubt that was who they were talking about.  Marcie never had offered his real name after he’d commented that no one called him Marcie anymore. Marcel seemed too similar for it to be coincidence.  That and the behaviours that seemed to match what Louis’ had witnessed.

“No, but he’s really nice.  Who cares if he’s a little odd?  I’d rather that than smartass answers dumb jocks give when they’re called on.”

“Wait, am I a dumb jock?” Liam asked in alarm.  Liam was what Louis joked to be an “All Sporter”.  In addition to being the captain on the soccer team, he also played football, basketball and even attempted baseball until the schedules conflicted.  

Louis leveled him with an annoyed look.  

“You’re on the honor roll.  If you think you’re a dumb jock, I don’t know how to help you.”  Louis rolled his eyes and turned back to Niall.

“He reads like this though!” Niall held up his book and scrunched up his face while he held the pages to the tip of his nose.  

Louis picked up his pencil case an whipped it at Niall, hitting him in the forehead.  

“It’s not his fault he has bad eyesight, you dick.  You have bad knees and people aren’t talking behind _your_ back.  It was just the card he was dealt.”

Sure, Louis had only known Marcel as a teenager for about five minutes, but seven-year-old Louis owed it to him at the very least, owed it to anyone his friends were making fun of with no just cause.    

“Awwww, does someone have a crush on the new kid?” Niall cooed out and batted his eyelashes.  

“Oh my God.  How did I get stuck with you guys as friends.”  Louis rolled his eyes hard and questioned when his own maturity level had risen above that of his friends.  Even a year or two ago he might have had a laugh at the new kid’s expense provided it was never more than just that.  Louis had never been cruel but had been known to have a chuckle over some outfit choices or hairstyles before his conscience had schooled him.  

Louis started to pack up his things, it was about time for him to be heading home anyway despite the current conversation, but their words didn’t sit well with him.  He didn’t like the thought of his fellow high schoolers making fun of and mocking someone who had so selflessly helped Louis through a tough experience all while being in the middle of his own.  It wasn’t right.

“Oi! Louis! Don’t be be like that.  I didn’t know he was your boyfriend or something.  It’s only a bit of fun,” Niall called out while Louis made his way towards the stairs.  

“I don’t think it’s fun,” were his last words to them before seeing himself out.  He wasn’t in the mood.

 

—————

 

Monday morning came and, though he arrived early enough that the hallways were nearly empty, Marcel was still already standing at his locker where they had first collided when Louis came around the corner.  At least, that’s where louis had assumed and hoped it was.

In an outfit that looked directly imported from the 70’s, Marcel was struggling with two thick AP textbooks in one arm while he tried to wrestle his locker with the other.  It didn’t end well and the books tilted dangerously over his forearm before toppling over to the floor. Those books were sure to have some heavy spine damage by the end of the school year if they didn’t already.  Louis rushed forward to help him pick them up, both of them meeting as they knelt.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” Louis tried to joke, clearing his throat when it didn’t bring the reaction he had been expecting.  Instead Marcel let out a long, frustrated sigh and leaned his shoulder against the smooth metal of his locker.

“Hey, you okay?”  Louis’ voice changed to one of concern as he took in Marcel’s defeated body posture, scooting himself closer to the lanky teen folded onto the floor.  

“I don’t think I can do this,” Marcel admitted softly after a moment before looking up through his glasses with sad eyes.  

Louis’ heart broke for him.  

“Are you okay?  Can I call someone for you?”  Louis wasn’t sure how to help short of wrapping Marcie up in his arms, but he wasn’t sure if that would be welcome.

“I’m fine, nothing like that.  Logistically speaking, I am fully capable of attending high school classes and completing assigned coursework, but I’m afraid I have come to realize that I am ill equipped to navigate the social construct of my peer base within the public education system and lack the knowledge and understanding of what appears to be daily routine.”  

And, okay.  Liam was right.  Marcel did have an odd way of speaking, but it wasn’t a bad thing.  Louis figured he’d just nod and agree with anything Marcel said as long as he spoke with confidence.  Louis would elect him the group presenter of all his projects and would have no doubt that even their bullshit information would appear to be A quality work in that kind of language.  

But Louis still wasn’t quite sure what he meant.  

“Umm… What?” Louis really didn’t know how to respond.  

“Everyone hates me and I cant open my locker,” Marcel clarified with another defeated sigh.  

“For one, nobody hates you.  They’re just intimidated by your individuality because they’re all boring.  As for your locker? That’s the easy part. I’ll show you the trick.”

Louis gathered the text books into his arms and stood up before he offered a hand to Marcel.  With a slight hesitation, Marcel took it and hoisted himself up with a little too much momentum, stumbling forward into Louis’ body.  

“Sorry, sorry,” Marcel rushed out, quickly backing away.  

“No worries!  It’s alright. We’ve cuddled so we broke that barrier a long time ago.”  Louis offered him a grin and was please to find a timid smile mirrored back to him.  “Now. What’s your combo? I promise I have the memory of a bird so I’m not going to remember it.”  

“Some birds have excellent memories, though, if you were trying to reassure me.  Crows have an exceptional ability to remember human faces, whether threatening or friendly, and even pass that information on to others and their young–”  

Marcel came to a halt as Louis cocked his head and raised a brow, confused about the unsolicited knowledge on birds but also intrigued that he could spout off such knowledge so quickly.  He’d have to ask about it later.

“Right.  Sorry.” Marcel pulled out a small moleskine notebook out of nowhere and flipped to a page with his combination written in precise handwriting.  

“Now the trick with these is that you have to go right, then spin it all the way around to the left before the second number and then all the way around to the right before the third.”  

The locker clicked open as Louis pushed up on the latch, the hinge creaking from disuse as it moved.  Louis frowned when he saw that it was not only empty but dusty on the inside. It was obvious it had been unassigned for a long period of time.  

“Have you ever used this?” Louis asked, turning to find Marcel pigeon toed and blushing, shoulders hunched in on themselves as if trying to make himself seem smaller.  

“I haven’t been able to get it open.”  Marcel shook his head. “I’ve been trying all week.”  

“No wonder you’re always carrying too many books to manage.  Here,” Louis lifted the textbooks and slid them on the shelf before he slammed the locker closed again.  “Now you try it, just like I showed you.”

With fumbling fingers, Marcel was eventually able to open the lock on his own as the halls were filling up with students as it drew closer to the start of the first class period.  

“Oh!  I almost forgot!”  Louis slid his backpack down his shoulder and unzipped the small pocket in front to pull out a photograph.  He took a second to look at it, at the two of them smiling at the camera from the same hospital bed. It had been such a difficult time for Louis.  Not only because of the pain of recovery and having to miss so many weeks of school, but also because, even at such a young age, he saw how stressed and worn thin his mom had become.  With his dad always gone on business, she still had to manage her his young sisters on top of her own job that she couldn’t afford to miss. The rest of her time had been spent at Louis’ bedside and, even though she tried to hide it the best she could, Louis still had felt guilty for being sick.  As he grew older, he’d come to realize that being sick hadn’t been the cause, but that time had been the beginning of the end of his parent’s marriage.

Marcel had been a constant smiling face for him during the times of the day his mom wasn’t able to be with him, a distraction when he started to get upset when he found out his dad had left for another trip without stopping to visit him.  Marcel had been his friend.

All of it still meant a lot to Louis, even a decade later.  

“I still had this pinned to my wall when we moved a couple months ago.  I know my mom has other copies.”

Louis handed the picture over with a fond smile just as the warning bell before the start of their first class rang out.

“I have to run to class, but meet me here and you can sit with us at lunch!”  

With that Louis turn and headed down the hallway leaving Marcel to squint at the picture of them when their roles had been reversed.  

 

—————

 

Louis grinned as he headed towards the cafeteria and saw Marcel rocking up onto his toes to scan the faces passing him in the hall.  It seemed as though Marcel was nervously waiting to be stood up and the bright smile of relief that graced his face when he caught sight of Louis caused his chest to clench.  Marcel had such a kind heart that was such an obviously strong trait to anyone if they only took a moment to look past the thick glasses and dress clothes.

In the few times their paths had crossed, Marcel was the same warm and loving child Louis had met so many years ago, just transplanted into an older body.  He had known many of his friends since elementary school and, even though they had continued to bond over things as they grew, he couldn’t say that any of them were the same as when he’d first met them.  

“Ready?  I’m starving!” Louis said with a nod of his head towards the cafeteria door.

Marcel hesitated but then reluctantly followed.  He allowed Louis to hold the door open for him but then hesitated just inside so Louis nearly ran into him.   

“Come on, this way,” Louis moved around Marcel, steering him towards Louis’ usual table with a gentle hand to his elbow.  

The guys were being obnoxiously loud as usual which made the sudden silence painfully obvious when they noticed Marcel.  

“Guys, Marcel.  Marcel, guys. Niall, Jason, Liam, Andrew, Wesley.” Louis gestured around the table as he named each of his friends.  Marcel rocked forward onto his toes nervously and scrunched up his nose as he squinted through his glasses. Louis kind of found it endearing.  

“Marcel is going to be joining us for lunch.  Does anyone have a problem with that?” he kept his voice level but his friends knew he was challenging them to say anything as they all looked around at each other.  

Eventually Niall scooted down the bench to make room for two and conversation slowly began to pick up again.  

“Usually I buy my lunch but I had this left over from last night.” Louis made an effort to keep Marcel engaged as he pulled out the Subway paper wrapped sub that had become smashed in his bag over the course of the morning along with a can of room temperature Mt. Dew.  Louis never claimed to be a healthy eater.

“My mom has been packing a lunch for me,” Marcel said with another scrunch of his nose in an attempt to push up his glasses that always seemed to be sliding down.  When that failed to do much more than lift the frames, he pushed them up the bridge of his nose with his index finger even though they started to slide down again as soon as he looked down to pull his backpack onto his lap to retrieve his paper lunch bag.  

Louis tried not to make it obvious that he was watching, but the way Marcel did everything fascinated him.  He first took out a napkin, carefully unfolded it and spread it out on the table in front of him. He then took out each item and arranged them on top of the napkin like a picnic– a small plastic container with a lid built for a fork to snap into, a sandwich baggie with a thick piece of garlic toast inside, another sandwich baggie filled with red apple slices and a kid-sized refillable bottle of water.  It was a practice that made it seem more like a formal meal rather than a quick snack with less than twenty minutes to scarf it down.

Marcel started to munch on his apple slices and Louis got distracted by one of NIall’s elaborate stories.  Everything slipped back into place just like any other lunch period at their table.

“I’d volunteer to warm that up for you, but I wouldn’t want you to think I was trying to give you cancer or anything,” Liam snickered as he pointed his own fork towards Marcel’s cold lasagna and then looked around the table to try and pull a laugh from the rest of them.  

Louis’ ears perked up and he snapped his attention to the exchange, narrowing his eyes at Liam’s inappropriate remark.  

“I never said that _I_ believed that,” Marcel muttered quietly, shoulders curling forward as if trying to disappear into himself.  He looked so small and defeated that Louis’ heart stuttered as it clenched tightly in his chest.

“The fuck, Liam?” Louis half stood to lean across the table to smack him upside the head.

“What??” Liam recoiled, his voice whiny like he didn’t know why he was being smacked.

“Come on, Marcie.” Louis scooped up what he could of Marcel’s lunch along with his own to leave the table.  He hadn’t meant to subject his rekindled friendship to that kind of immature and hurtful behaviour but he also hadn’t thought his friends were dense enough to say anything to Marcel’s face.  

“Ooooo Marcie!!” Niall cooed from the table behind them as Louis led Marcel away with a guiding hand pressed into the small of his back.  Even from the side Louis could see the blush of embarrassment creeping over Marcel’s cheeks and neck and the guilt of thinking lunch was a good idea weighted his stomach like a chunk of lead.  

“I’m so sorry about them.”  Louis sighed and started to spread out Marcel’s lunch on an unclaimed bench in the common area near the entrance.  “They’re just dickheads who think they’re funny when they’re not.”

Marcel was quiet and withdrawn, staring at what was left of his lunch after he sat down.  The silent tension between them made Louis anxious and twitchy, unable to keep still but also not able to find the correct words to fill the space.  

“Everyone thinks I’m weird,” Marcel said after a moment.  He lifted his head to look at Louis, having to tip his head back a little too far to peer through his glasses that had again slid down his nose.  

“They’re just too close minded to handle someone who is different,” Louis’ voice changed to the soft and gentle tone he used when he needed to comfort one of his little sisters.  He placed a gentle hand on Marcel’s knee as he did, an automatic gesture he didn’t register until Marcel looked down to where they touched.

“Sorry, I’m sorry.”  Louis quickly pulled his hand back, awkwardly running his fingers through his hair as some unsuccessful distraction.  

“It’s fine, Lou.  We practically slept in the same bed for weeks,” Marcel said as he picked at the seam of his trousers by his knee.  

“We were kids, though.  Probably a little different now.”

Marcel shrugged his hunched shoulders a bit, “Doesn’t have to be.”

“Yeah, I guess–” The warning bell cut him off, students quickly filling the area on their way to their next classes.  

“Fuck, I’m sorry.  You barely got to eat your lunch!”  

Louis started to shove his own partially eaten sub back into his bag, cursing again under his breath.  

“No, it’s fine.  Not that hungry anymore.”

Louis’ heart dropped again at Marcel’s mumbled words but he didn’t have time to apologize yet again.  He was already one tardy away from another detention that he couldn’t afford to get.

“I’ll see you later?” Louis asked and started to walk backwards towards the hallway.  Marcel nodded but didn’t look up. He would just have to take that as a yes.

 

—————

 

After an evening of ignoring calls and texts from his friends, Louis wasn’t about to forgive and join them again for lunch just yet.  He was still irritated with their immaturity and, quite frankly, embarrassed to be associated with them. Even if Marcel had been the only “outsider” to hear the exchange, it was his own conscience that was really keeping them at a distance.  It was just different with Marcel. He felt the need to pack him up in bubblewrap and shield him from the evils of the world that seemed ready to kick him when he was already down. He’d known Marcel had spent more than his fair share of time in hospitals as a child and that alone felt like a justification to keep him safe.  None of it seemed fair.

Louis couldn’t help the bright grin that spread across his face when he rounded the corner to see Marcel waiting at his locker.  He’d nearly been late to his first class that morning, so he hadn’t had a chance to invite Marcel to eat lunch with him again. By the way the lanky kid was searching the halls, it was clear he had decided to wait for Louis anyway.

Today Marcel’s button up was white with little blue butterflies dotting the fabric paired with some black skinny jeans that looked odd on him after only seeing him in his more formal attire.  It suited him, though, drawing attention to his long legs and, if he would were to stop slouching, his height. Louis wasn’t sure if this was an attempt to fit in or just a regular choice that had yet to make the rotation.  

“Hey! You waited!” Louis called out when he was close enough and smiled at Marcel’s bashful reaction.

“Well, I– Yeah.  Wasn’t sure if–”

“Come on.  I have to grab something from a la carte today but then we can go find somewhere to sit, okay?”  

Louis didn’t wait for a response before confidently ushering Marcel into the cafeteria with him.  It was just as loud and rowdy as always, but he purposefully kept his eyes averted from his normal table.  He was making a statement.

“You can wait here if you want, I’ll only be a minute.”

Marcel nodded and sat at the end of a table where only a few students were sitting while Louis jogged over to the short line with snacks.  He wasn’t in the mood for a full meal but knew he needed something to tide him over until the end of the day.

While he waited, Louis looked over to make sure Marcel was alright, knowing he still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the high school atmosphere.  He looked a bit awkward and unsure of what to do with himself while he waited and kept his fingers busy fixing his shirt and then his glasses and then his shirt again.  Louis found his mannerisms endearing and a small smile came to his face as he was given the chance to just watch.

What happened next, though, seemed to move in slow motion.

The smile began to fall from his face as he saw the boy with the tray stumbling up to Marcel from behind.  The trip of his step was an exaggeration, lunch tray upending over Marcel’s head. Louis reached out a hand to stop it, though he was halfway across the room, and he was sure his voice was stretched out and lower in pitch like a scene in a movie.  Mashed potatoes, gravy, applesauce, an entire carton of chocolate milk– Louis wasn’t even sure what was what as it slid over Marcel’s slicked back hair and covered his thick glasses. The brilliant white of his shirt was tainted with spreading stains and Louis was helpless as it happened.  

“WHAT THE FUCK!!” Louis screamed and shoved hard at the boy’s shoulders.  He couldn’t even remember how he’d ended up at Marcel’s side, but his tunnel vision was tinted red with rage.

“Sorry, accident,” the kid shrugged by the way he glanced back and snickered with his friends said it was anything but.  

Louis was ready to knock his teeth out, fists clenched tightly at his sides and ready to give a good pummeling.  He was fully prepared to get himself expelled over Marcel’s honor and squared his shoulders to throw the first punch–

Marcel’s wilted posture stopped him short, the gears of his brain immediately shifting priorities.

“Come on, let’s go.”  

Louis wrapped an arm around Marcel’s shoulders and helped him up, the entire time glaring daggers towards the group of bullies that hopefully said their confrontation wasn’t over.  

Marcel’s expression was blank and vacant as Louis lead them down the hallway towards the side entrance.  The less people who saw them, the easier it would be for the student body to forget it happened. That’s what he hoped anyway.  

“My house is only a couple blocks away.  We can get you cleaned up and then ditch the rest of the day.  I’ll have my mom call or something. It’ll be okay.”

Louis didn’t receive an answer but Marcel didn’t stop walking with him either.  They continued down the sidewalk in silence, steps in sync even though their strides were much different in length.  Marcel was shuffling his feet but whether it was because of the mood or an effort to even their pace, Louis wasn’t sure.    

When they finally made it to Louis’ bathroom, he turned Marcel’s body and directed him to sit on the closed lid of the toilet.  It was then that he finally got the full view of what had happened.

It was clear that Marcel hadn’t even raised a hand to clear his face, thick mashed potatoes still stuck to his skin and hair in gobs and glasses coated with a greasy, chocolatey film.  Louis wasn’t even sure how he had even been able to see on their short walk but guessed he’d been relying on Louis’ guidance more than he had let on.

“Can I, um–  Can I take these off?” Louis finally broke the silence between them, hesitantly reaching out for the frames of Marcel’s glasses.  

Marcel didn’t answer but lifted his face enough for Louis to slide them off, gently setting them beside the sink.  He turned on the tap and let the water run to warm up while he pulled out a washcloth from the cupboard, wetting it once the water was a decent temperature.  With delicate fingers on Marcel’s chin, Louis tipped his head and began to gently wipe away the crusted potatoes that had started to dry on his skin.

Marcel just blinked up at him, eyes seemingly unfocused and breath unsteady.  

Louis’ movements slowed, allowing himself to study the face in front of him without the mask of his glasses.  Naturally sculpted eyebrows arched over expressive eyes framed long curling lashes. The colour of his irises swirled green and hints of blue and Louis wasn’t sure if he’d ever even looked at his own eyes so closely before.  They were beautiful but matched the rest of his delicate features all the way down to the bow of his soft lips. They were so inviting that his thumb moved to trace the line of his mouth, leaning in to press a chaste kiss in its wake.  

Marcel’s breath hitched and Louis froze, thumb still pressed to the corner of his mouth.  

“I’m sorry,” Louis whispered out, his body to scared to move, afraid Marcel might bolt if startled.  

“No, please,” came Marcel’s response instead, lips parting and eyes darting around as they tried to focus on Louis’ face.  

Louis let out a shaky breath before leaning in again and pressing their lips together.  It felt so innocent, so pure, nothing like the aggressive make out sessions he’d had with other people.  It was different and Louis didn’t even have an endgame in mind, no motivation other than to see if they felt as soft as they looked, tasted as sweet as he thought they might.  Their kiss was long and lingering but delicate and slow and gentle. It made Louis feel warm with the urge to giggle when they finally pulled apart.

Instead, he just grinned as they stared at each other even though Louis could tell that to Marcel, he was only a blur.  

“I’ll lend you some clothes if you want to shower.  I’ll go clean off your glasses and then we can watch a movie or something.”

Louis kept his voice soft so he didn’t break the bubble, leaning in to press a soft kiss to Marcel’s forehead just because it seemed like a natural thing to do.  

“Okay, but I can’t really see where to go.”  Marcel blushed and chewed on the inside of his bottom lip.  

“I can turn the water on and lead you over?” Louis suggested and took Marcel’s hands.  He pulled him to stand and led him over to the side of the bathtub before letting go to turn the water on.

“When you get in, shampoo is the closest bottle to you, then conditioner, then body wash.  That one is the bottle that’s kinda rectangle?”

Marcel finally let out a small laugh that made Louis smile, sticking his hand under the spout to adjust the temperature before diverting the water to the shower head.   

“There you go and just feel for the curtain I guess?  Is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s okay.”  

Marcel nodded and started to unbutton his shirt before he shrugged it off his shoulders.  Louis was surprised that despite his scrawny appearance, he actually had a bit of meat on his skinny frame.  He gawked for a moment before shaking himself out of it, not wanting to be creepy.

“Right.  So. I’ll go grab some clothes and a towel.”

Marcel laughed and started to unbutton his jeans before Louis forced himself to leave.  

He rummaged through to find his baggiest sweats, hoping they would be longer than just capris on Marcel’s lengthy legs.  He also pulled out one of his comfiest tees and folded them together nicely in a little pile. Hesitating at his dresser, he almost pulled out a pair of his boxers but decided against it.  It would probably be weird enough to wear someone else’s clothes and he was sure Marcel’s own underwear were probably fine for him to put on again anyway.

Knocking gently at the door, he pushed it open enough to slip in and set the clothes down on the edge of the counter.  

“I’m just going to hang the towel right out here on this hook.” Louis told him, keeping his back to the shower as he did even though the curtain was solid and nowhere near see-through.  

“Thanks.  Can you please hand me my glasses?  I can just wash them in here.”

Louis bit his lip but grabbed them anyway, keeping his eyes squeezed shut as he felt around for the curtain and instead ran into a wet hand.  He jumped and nearly dropped the glasses, breathing a sigh of relief when they didn’t end up smashing on the hard surface of the tub.

“Take your time.  Just come find me when you’re done.”  

Louis closed the bathroom door behind himself and let out a long breath.  Butterflies fluttered around in his stomach for a moment as he let himself think of their soft exchange, a giddy smile rising to the surface.  It had been unexpected, not something that had even crossed his mind before, but he couldn’t help but think about it now. He didn’t want the fact that Marcel was currently naked in his shower to corrupt the sweet moment they had shared, not when he had only just been exposed to the idea that maybe their connection had always been something fate had in store for them.  

He rushed off to his room to change his own clothes, his shirt stained and crusty from their contact.  Comfy clothes seemed the way to go and slipped on another pair of sweats and one of his threadbare t-shirts.  With his laptop firing up and extra pillows piled at the head of his bed, Louis got himself comfortable while searching for a lighthearted movie to watch on Netflix.  

Louis was so distracted that he barely looked up when there was a movement at his bedroom door.  With what he was sure was a comical double take, he stared at Marcel as he hesitated just inside the room looking soft and warm from his shower.  

“Um, hi,” Marcel gave a timid wave, cheeks blushed and clean glasses resting on his face.  His hair was loose and damp, free from gel that usually slicked it back with baby curls forming at the drying ends.  Louis had the urge to cuddle him like a fluffy kitten, all of his usual formal edges gone. He looked so small even with Louis’ sweatpants ending inches above his ankles and shirt fitting snug across his shoulders.  

Louis patted the mattress beside him as an invitation to join, readjusting the laptop so they both would be able to see the screen.  

“I picked out some classics for you to choose from.  I thought it might be nice to watch something fun.”

Louis tilted the laptop screen and pointed to the titled, holding back a smile at Marcel’s wrinkled nose squint as he read the titles after settling down on the bed.  

“I’m not sure I’m familiar with any of those,” Marcel said after a moment before he sniffed and rubbed his nose.  

“Who isn’t “familiar” with The Lion King??” Louis asked incredulously, making finger quotes as he turned to stare.  

“I don’t know!  I don’t watch many movies.”  

Marcel shrugged and started to look uncomfortable, wrapping his arms around himself.  

“It’s a standard kid movie classic!” Louis argued, “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who hasn’t seen it!”

“I’ve only been to the movie theater a few times.  It’s hard for me to see.”

Louis softened at that and couldn’t resist the urge to turn and wrap Marcel up in a hug.  

“I’m sorry,” he said with a squeeze, holding on until Marcel started to relax.  “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. It’s just a fun movie.”

“My mom always said it was a waste of time, anyway.”

Louis pulled back a little bit to study Marcel’s face.

“Your parents…” Louis started hesitantly, “They aren’t mean to you, are they?”

The urge to keep him safe was strong but made even stronger by the thought that maybe his home life wasn’t the greatest either.  Louis didn’t think he’d be able to handle that.

“No!  No, they aren’t mean to me.  Overly protective, maybe. They were older when they had me and I was born quite early.  I almost didn’t make it and I think my mom has always tried to keep me away from anything that might hurt me.  I’ve never been allowed to go many places because of germs.”

Louis’ heart hurt over the confession, pushing the laptop aside to wrap Marcel up in his arms once again.

“That’s one reason why I was homeschooled,” Marcel continued, “And because I would have missed a lot being in the hospital so often when I was younger I think.  I was hoping that attending a high school might look better when applying for universities but I don’t think it will matter. I guess I was hoping maybe I could just see what it was like.  It hasn’t been what I expected.”

Marcel frowned and Louis couldn’t help but lean in to kiss his cheek. It was so easy to make Marcel blush and he smiled at the hint of pink that flushed his skin after the press of his lips.

“It can’t all be bad but I’ll admit you’ve had a rough introduction to it,” Louis tried to make a small joke but knew there wasn’t much he could say to excuse anything Marcel had been subjected to.  It was harsh even by teenage standards.

Marcel let out a long breath that tickled the hairs on Louis’ arm.

“I’m not sure I would have gone back that first day if it hadn’t been for you.”

Marcel seemed nervous to admit that but it just made Louis smile.  He shifted them around until he was nearly spooning Marcel from behind, a better position to keep him wrapped up in the the safe bubble he hoped he was creating.  

“I’m glad you came back.  It’s been nice getting to know you again.”

The mattress shifted and Louis loosened his arms thinking Marcel might be uncomfortable, but instead just turned so they were face to face, just inches apart.  

“Louis?  Why did you kiss me?” Marcel asked timidly, his voice soft as if he didn’t have the courage to say it any louder.  

“Because I wanted to,” Louis responded after a moment because, really, that was the only answer he had.  

“But. Why?”

“Because I wanted to,” Louis repeated and his eyes wandered down to the mouth that was so close and tempting, “Because your lips looked like they feel nice to kiss?”

“Did they?  Feel nice, I mean,” Marcel blushed and looked away before Louis raised his and and used a soft press of his fingertips to bring his focus back.  

“Yeah, very nice.  I liked it.”

“Can you do it again?”  Marcel’s request was barely a whisper.  Curls had coiled to frame his face, drying in a cherub fro that made him look much younger, more innocent.  

“Okay.”  Louis reached up and gently slid his glasses off, folding them carefully and reaching to set them on the small table beside his bed.  

“So I don’t smudge them,” he explained in a whisper before he leaned in, leaving the last few centimeters for Marcel to make the final move.  

It was just as sweet and soft as their first kiss, delicate like fine expensive lace but sturdy enough to not unravel with a little use.  It was like lying on soft cashmere in front of the warmth of a fire, happy and content. Louis wanted to curl up in the feeling and carry it around with him wherever he went.  

“It is nice.  I like it, too,” Marcel said softly when they finally parted.

They shared a smile and as they laid together and Louis couldn’t help but think that maybe things had come full circle.  From the hospital bed where they had been together just like this the first time they met, Marcel comforting him when he needed it most, to now when their roles had been reversed.  Something about them just fit and Louis would never give up the chance to figure out exactly how they did.

 

——————————  
_Months Later_  
——————————

 

“Can you hold still?  I’m trying to take a picture!” Louis’ mom scolded before she raised her phone again.  

“NIALL!  I see you making those bunny ears!  Put those down! I want a nice picture of my son at graduation!!”

Louis could only laugh at his mom’s irritation.  She’d been fussing over him all morning already and, if he tried to take her seriously, he knew his mood would be sour.  

Niall finally cooperated and rested his arm around Louis’ shoulder instead, the two of them smiling nicely in their cap and gowns while his mom took more pictures than anyone would ever look at.  

“Where’s your _boyfriend_?” Niall cooed once the pictures had been snapped.  Niall would never stop giving him a hard time, it was just his nature, but his tone held none of the malicious taunting it had the first time Louis’ had heard the same thing come out of his mouth.  

It had been months since Louis had pulled Marcel away from his usual lunch table and so many things had changed that it was hard to believe that it had ever happened.  After the food incident had happened, Liam and Niall had shown up on his doorstep that very afternoon with their tails between their legs. Marcel had still been over, still dressed in Louis’ sweats with pink cheeks and puffy lips, but nothing had been said about that.  

Witnessing the worst of human behaviour had brought the harsh reality of their own words into light and they spent the rest of the evening and much of the following weeks apologizing, promising to make it up to Marcel however they could.  They had been more than accepting ever since, even when the title of boyfriend was introduced, but that was a fairly new development.

“Should be here any minute.”  Louis pulled his phone out and lifted onto his toes to search the sea of people for the head that always seemed to pop a few inches above the masses.  A smile came to his face when he finally spotted the familiar glasses and curls that Marcel wasn’t fond of but sometimes wore free just because he knew Louis was.  

After the first half of the school year, Marcel had decided that the high school experience just wasn’t working out for him.  Instead, he enrolled in some gen ed courses at the community college to get started since he had already finished most of the homeschooling curriculum.  Louis had been sad about the decision for a while but knew Marcel wasn’t happy and they only were able to see each other during lunch anyway. They had been studying together in the evenings, hanging out with Niall and Liam on the weekends and, in between, exploring the reasons they always ended up tangled in a kiss.  It was moving slowly but Louis was okay with that. It was new territory for both of them and, when they’d finally decided to make it official, everyone had been shocked that it hadn’t been before.

“Marcie!” Louis called over the crowd, catching the tall boy’s attention.  

“Hi! Congratulations!” Marcel beamed, wrapping Louis up in a tight hug before whispering into his ear, “I’m so proud of you.”

It was Louis’ turn to feel bashful and he hid it against his boyfriend’s shoulder, holding them together until he was sure there was no evidence of it on his face.  

“Awww!! Picture! Picture!”

Louis’ mom herded them together and took more pictures while she gushed at how cute they were together.  

“You can sneak out now if you don’t want to be stuck sitting by her for the rest of this,” Louis muttered just loud enough for Marcel to hear.  

Marcel let out a honking laugh, slapping a hand over his mouth as he grinned.  

“No, I’ve already promised I’d help embarrass you.”

“Nooo,” Louis groaned, playfully trying to push him back towards the parking lot.  “You’re uninvited. I’m uninviting you. Go home.”

Marcel just giggled and stole his hat, planting it on top of his own head.  

“You’re a menace.  Just wait until your college grad.  I’ll patiently wait for my payback,” Louis threatened but couldn’t stop himself from grinning.  

“You have the patience of a fly.  I don’t believe you.”

Marcel wrapped Louis up in another hug, holding each other until it was time for Louis to go line up.  

“Proud of you,” Marcel told him again, pulling him back for a quick kiss that lasted a few seconds too long and caused Niall to whistle at them.  

“Proud of you, too.”  

Louis smiled as they shared another small moment together, ready for just another small step of the many more they would take together.  


End file.
